


Severus Snape And The Secret Of The Sorting Hat.

by incandescentshadows



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Hermione Granger Is a Slytherin, I know everyone hates on snape, Out of Character, You can take this fact from my cold dead hands, just a headcanon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-22 03:24:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16589918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/incandescentshadows/pseuds/incandescentshadows
Summary: Every year the Sorting Hat requests a private word with the head of Slytherin House. Not even the headmaster knows what is discussed in those few minutes at the start of every year. But for four students, it changes everything about how their years at Hogwarts will turn out.





	Severus Snape And The Secret Of The Sorting Hat.

September 1st arrived too soon. Though Severus had known this was coming, he’d still fooled himself into thinking he had more time. Ten years hadn’t been enough to prepare. Ten years wasn’t enough time to grieve. Still, it was September 1st and Harry Potter was standing amongst the other first years. They all looked worried, as usual. Even young Draco looked less certain than he should. He played it off well, but Severus knew the child well. He was upset, and worried.  
  
Severus watched as Draco glanced over at Potter, and then glared at the Weasley boy. Dear god, another of them. Severus was certain there was at least one more to go as well, a girl this time at least. Still, after watching what felt like twenty of them pass through his classes the potions professor had to wonder if Molly and Arthur had ambitions for world domination. They had enough children to flesh out a small army after all.  
  
The redhead was standing close to Potter, mumbling something to him. So they’d become close on the ride in. Severus wondered how the two would be sorted, with their new friendship. The Weasley child wouldn’t be in Slytherin, of that he was certain. The others, even Potter, could not be predicted as easily. Even Draco might find himself in Ravenclaw, if he took after his mother.  
  
Ron Weasley would never enter Slytherin though, and if he did then the world would be at an end. It would be a sign of the times. Severus might even bend to the overwhelming urge to retire, should that happen. It just wouldn’t be right, or natural. Weasley children didn’t end up in Slytherin. It wasn’t done.  
  
Severus remained quiet as the sorting ceremony progressed. He didn’t take note of the other children. He clapped politely when Draco made his way to the green clad table and scowled appropriately when Lily’s boy was accepted into Gryffindor. The long sorting for that boy wasn’t a surprise.  
  
Harry Potter was unique after all. Real consideration would have to be put into evaluating his place.  
As expected, the Weasley boy soon joined him at the lion’s table. His red mane blended in with those never ending siblings that filled the ranks. There were only four, but still Severus cringed. Four Gryffindor Weasley children to handle this year, and Harry Potter. It would be a long year indeed.  
  
“The sorting hat re. re. request- ah. reques. Asked. For you.” A voice whisper stuttered from his right. Severus glanced over, a single eyebrow raised.   
  
Quirinus ducked his head, and Severus could see Albus staring at him from down the row of chairs. Severus gave a short nod and turned back to his food without reply to the bumbling fool of a teacher beside him. This wasn’t a strange occurrence, though the potions professor knew that Dumbledore was burning to ask him what caused the hat to seek him out every year.  
  
Severus said nothing about it, and never would. For ten years he’d kept his oath, the same oath that Slughorn had taken before him. It was a sacred vow, one that only the past heads of Slytherin ever knew about. It would never leave their lips, even upon torture or threat of death. Voldemort himself would never convince Severus to give up the secret of the sorting hat.  
  
After the racus school song ended, the Weasley twins carrying it out far longer than needed just as Severus expected they would, he stood. Without waiting to be waylaid by the headmaster, the black haired professor slipped out the door in the back of the hall that would lead further into the castle and away from the children. The Slytherins would be expecting him in the dorms soon enough, to lay out the rules and ensure order. He had a hat to visit first though, and before the sneaky Albus Dumbledore could try to pry the information from his mind.  
  
The password to Dumbledore's office was certainly some kind of candy. However, when Severus reached the hidden staircase the gargoyle leapt aside without a word. It was the only time Severus knew of that the Gargoyle would ever betray the headmaster, and he’d had to use the enchantment only once before when Albus’ curiosity had overcome him.  
  
The damn fool had tried to keep Severus from the Hat that year, and had even hidden the blasted thing in a different part of the castle when his gargoyle betrayed him. The hat had found the Slytherin Head of House that evening, a deep tear in it’s brim and quite a few foul things to say about the Headmaster after that.  
  
Albus had learned not to keep Severus from meeting the hat after that experience. It had flat out refused to sort the students the next year until the silver haired man had apologized and promised not to get in the way.  
Severus climbed the stairs two at a time. Though Albus had promised not to interfere, there was no doubt he would expect Severus to linger and discus other things. He would attempt legitimancy and veritaserum laced lemon drops. All the usual tricks, things that wouldn’t get past Severus but might trick a child. Severus hated being treated like a child.  
  
When he finally reached the Headmaster’s office he didn’t stop to look at the trinkets or nick nacks that littered the room. He ignored the sharp trill of Fawkes in the corner. He marched straight to the desk where the Hat sat. He settled into one of the chairs and placed the thing on his head.  
  
“Slytherin!” The thing shouted to thin air. Severus snorted and shook his head. In his head there was an echo of laughter as well. “Ah, Severus. A whole year already?”  
  
“I’m afraid so.” The professor said aloud, though there was no real need. The Hat knew what he was thinking. It could feel his apprehension and it was amused. Severus was less amused.  
  
“There are four.” The hat told him, and Severus relaxed. That was less than the few years before. The first year there had been eight, and he had been underprepared for what he would need to do to help them. Now there would only be four. He could handle four. It might even be an easy year. “Care to guess who they are?”  
  
“Ron Weasley.” Severus mumbled. He didn’t have any doubts about this one. Every year a Weasley’s head was under this Hat, his name was on the list. If the female Weasley was any different the world would probably be frozen over.  
  
“Correct.” The Hat agreed. “Any other guesses?”  
  
“I don’t know the muggleborns well enough to guess.” Severus answered. The hat knew as well as he did that he was steering the conversation away from the truth of the matter. The hat had never been this coy with the list before. It was taunting him. Whatever was left over of Salazar Slytherin’s soul embedded in the hat was enjoying the game of cat and mouse. And who was Severus to deny the pleasure?  
  
“One ended up in Ravenclaw.” The hat informed him. “A Marietta Edgecomb.”  
  
“I see.” He vaguely recalled her, but it wouldn’t be too much trouble to pick her out come first year lessons.  
  
“The other is now in Gryffindor. A Hermione Granger.” The hat continued to muse. “A smart one, that. You’ll have your hands full with her.”  
  
“And the last?” Severus dared ask, though in his heart he knew the truth.  
  
“Harry Potter, of course.”  
  
“Of course.” Severus murmured.  
  
“I offered him a chance to be in your house, you know.” The hat sounded sad. “It seems he’s heard some bad things about it.”  
  
“Ten years later and our reputation still isn’t what it should be.” Severus mused. “It will take many years still.”  
  
“You have done great work.” The hat praised him. Severus thought about the other names he’d been given over the years and he had to agree. No one would ever suspect a thing. They would never realize what the he and the hat had accomplished. He’d considered retiring, but then he’d get a new list of names and he’d remember why he stayed and taught. Why he was always sitting beneath the hat after the sorting was over.  
  
Those children couldn’t be who they wanted to be. Through either prejudices from their family or from their society. They couldn’t relax down in the Slytherin common room and learn strategy and share their ambitions and question the status quo. They felt unsafe, and they were right. Any one of those four children being sorted into Slytherin would have resulted in disaster, no matter how much they belonged there.  
  
“Albus is coming.” The hat warned. Severus slipped it off his head and back onto the desk. He turned and marched out the door. He slipped down the stairs and out into the hall. He turned down the corridor to the left just as the headmaster could be heard humming from the right.  
  
He swept down towards the dungeons, four names on his mind. He had a lot of work ahead of him, and four little Slytherins he’d have to care for despite their living in other houses.


End file.
